City College of San Francisco (CCSF), Skyline College and San Francisco State University (SFSU) propose to continue their successful 14-year old Baccalaureate Bridge Program. Our multi-component program is designed to increase the number of underrepresented minority (URM) CCSF and Skyline students who earn a baccalaureate degree in biomedical and to provide these students with the academic preparation, skills and confidence to pursue an advanced degree in biomedical science. The primary objectives of our program are to: promote URM student excellence in science classes and progression toward transfer, to smooth the critical transfer process, to promote best-teaching practices by science faculty within the partnership, to ensure that the curriculum being taught is preparing students for upper-division study after transfer and to bring successful role models to our campuses, helping to reinforce the message that being a scientist is an attainable goal and an attractive career choice. Our program has two sets of activities. Seven for Bridges-funded students: 1) an Academic Success Workshop, 2) Advising, Academic Counseling, and Mentoring, 3) Peer Tutoring, 4) Directed Research, 5) an Independent Research Internship, 6) a Doctoral Prep Workshop and 7) an oral or poster presentation at a national student research conference. Eight activities are designed to impact all URM science students at CCSF and Skyline: (1) Advanced Tutoring in Math and Science Courses, (2) Supplemental Instruction in Gateway Math and Science classes, 3) Annual Joint CCSF/Skyline/SFSU Science Department Faculty Retreats, 4) new Research Skills modules and classes added to the curriculum, 5) dedicated pre- transfer counseling, 6) Counseling after transfer for students pursuing math/science majors at SFSU, 7) a Minority Scientist Seminar Series and 8) CCSF/Skyline Faculty Professional Development. Internal and external evaluation will provide feedback on the effectiveness of all program activities and guide modification. Since the inception of this program, 313 students have participated. 202 participants have transferred to a 4- year school. 123 students have received baccalaureate degrees and 53 of these students have sought at least one advanced degree, including 14 Ph.D. students, 23 Masters' students, and 14 medical students. and 13 pharmacy/ dental/osteopathy students. Thus far, 3 Ph.D.'s, 13 Masters', 8 M.D. degrees and 10 degrees in pharmacy, dentistry or osteopathy have been earned. Public Health Relevance: It is generally agreed that there is a national need for increasing the number of well- trained minority scientists in the fields of biomedical, clinical, behavioral and health services research. This is based on the belief that diversifying the scientific workforce will enable the nation to better improve human health and eliminate health disparities. This Bridges Program seeks to significantly raise the transfer and graduation rates of under-represented minority science students, thereby increasing the pool of biomedical science graduates as a first step toward diversifying the professionals investigating health disparities.